The electrical problems that knocked Metrorail service far off schedule Tuesday highlight the 30-year-old system’s need for infrastructure improvement, Metro General Manager John Catoe said.
Metro is still investigating the cause of the electrical outage that stalled trains on the Green Line and an unrelated power problem that briefly delayed the Blue and Orange lines’ service. Catoe wants to replace the aging infrastructure, including Metro’s power substations, before massive failures occur.
“The system needs a couple billion dollars over the next few years to upgrade and to meet the standards we need to meet,” he said.
Catoe said he also is looking to upgrade Metro’s rails and replace miles of cables in the tunnels to bolster communication capabilities. Metro already has begun replacing the connections that recently caused delays on the Red Line when they overheated.
Catoe also wants to remove the devices that function as the system’s circuit breakers.
“Even in the 1960s, that was old technology,” he said.
Legislation is pending in Congress that would authorize $150 million a year for a decade to Metro if localities also contribute $150 million. The funds will not be a cure-all for the system’s capital needs, Catoe said.
Though he would be glad to have the money, Catoe said he would prefer legislation that avoids the unpredictable federal budget process by directing a specific revenue source (such as the sales tax) to Metro’s coffers.
Catoe’s assessment of Metro’s infrastructure came a few days after he marked his 100th day of work as the transit system’s general manager. He has won praise from passenger groups for avoiding unpopular fare increases and service reductions this year.
“John Catoe’s leadership in his first 60 days saved Metro riders from any fiscal ’08 fare increase — a savings of $64 million,” said Jack Corbett, a founder of the passenger Web site MetroRiders.org.
